Pierce buried Scott in the Whigs' last national campaign; the party, fatally split over the Compromise of 1850, dissolved within four years.
Elected
Franklin Pierce
Democratic
Electoral vote
254 of 296
Popular vote
50.8%
1,607,510 votes
Turnout
69.5%
The result
Franklin Pierce
Democratic · 50.80% of votes
254
electoral votes
Winfield Scott
Whig · 43.90% of votes
42
electoral votes
John P. Hale
Free Soil · 4.90% of votes
—
electoral votes
Daniel Webster
Union · 0.22% of votes
—
electoral votes
Jacob Broom
Know Nothing · 0.08% of votes
—
electoral votes
George Troup
Southern Rights · 0.07% of votes
—
electoral votes
EV share
Franklin Pierce
Democratic
William R. King
254
1,607,510
50.80%
27
Winfield Scott
Whig
William Alexander Graham
42
1,386,942
43.90%
4
John P. Hale
Free Soil
George Washington Julian
—
155,210
4.90%
—
Daniel Webster
Union
Charles J. Jenkins
—
6,994
0.22%
—
Jacob Broom
Know Nothing
Reynell Coates
—
2,566
0.08%
—
George Troup
Southern Rights
John A. Quitman
—
2,331
0.07%
—
3,161,553 votes recorded for the candidates listed.
Results by state
Alabama
Franklin Pierce · 60.9% · runner-up Winfield Scott 34.1%
9
electoral votes
Arkansas
Franklin Pierce · 62.2% · runner-up Winfield Scott 37.8%
4
electoral votes
California
Franklin Pierce · 53.0% · runner-up Winfield Scott 46.8%
4
electoral votes
Connecticut
Franklin Pierce · 49.8% · runner-up Winfield Scott 45.5%
6
electoral votes
Delaware
Franklin Pierce · 49.9% · runner-up Winfield Scott 49.7%
3
electoral votes
Florida
Franklin Pierce · 60.0% · runner-up Winfield Scott 40.0%
3
electoral votes
Georgia
Franklin Pierce · 64.7% · runner-up Winfield Scott 26.6%
10
electoral votes
Illinois
Franklin Pierce · 51.9% · runner-up Winfield Scott 41.8%
11
electoral votes
Indiana
Franklin Pierce · 52.1% · runner-up Winfield Scott 44.2%
13
electoral votes
Iowa
Franklin Pierce · 50.2% · runner-up Winfield Scott 44.8%
4
electoral votes
Kentucky
Winfield Scott · 51.4% · runner-up Franklin Pierce 48.3%
12
electoral votes
Louisiana
Franklin Pierce · 51.9% · runner-up Winfield Scott 48.1%
6
electoral votes
Alabama
Franklin Pierce
60.9%
9
Winfield Scott · 34.1%
Arkansas
Franklin Pierce
62.2%
4
Winfield Scott · 37.8%
California
Franklin Pierce
53.0%
4
Winfield Scott · 46.8%
Connecticut
Franklin Pierce
49.8%
6
Winfield Scott · 45.5%
Delaware
Franklin Pierce
49.9%
3
Winfield Scott · 49.7%
Florida
Franklin Pierce
60.0%
3
Winfield Scott · 40.0%
Georgia
Franklin Pierce
64.7%
10
Winfield Scott · 26.6%
Illinois
Franklin Pierce
51.9%
11
Winfield Scott · 41.8%
Indiana
Franklin Pierce
52.1%
13
Winfield Scott · 44.2%
Iowa
Franklin Pierce
50.2%
4
Winfield Scott · 44.8%
Kentucky
Winfield Scott
51.4%
12
Franklin Pierce · 48.3%
Louisiana
Franklin Pierce
51.9%
6
Winfield Scott · 48.1%
Maine
Franklin Pierce
50.6%
8
Winfield Scott · 39.6%
Maryland
Franklin Pierce
53.3%
8
Winfield Scott · 46.7%
Massachusetts
Winfield Scott
41.5%
13
Franklin Pierce · 35.1%
Michigan
Franklin Pierce
50.5%
6
Winfield Scott · 40.8%
Mississippi
Franklin Pierce
60.5%
7
Winfield Scott · 39.5%
Missouri
Franklin Pierce
56.4%
9
Winfield Scott · 43.6%
New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce
56.4%
5
Winfield Scott · 30.6%
New Jersey
Franklin Pierce
52.8%
7
Winfield Scott · 45.9%
New York
Franklin Pierce
50.2%
35
Winfield Scott · 45.0%
North Carolina
Franklin Pierce
50.4%
10
Winfield Scott · 49.5%
Ohio
Franklin Pierce
47.9%
23
Winfield Scott · 43.2%
Pennsylvania
Franklin Pierce
51.2%
27
Winfield Scott · 46.2%
Rhode Island
Franklin Pierce
51.4%
4
Winfield Scott · 44.9%
South Carolina
Franklin Pierce
—
8
—
Tennessee
Winfield Scott
50.7%
12
Franklin Pierce · 49.3%
Texas
Franklin Pierce
73.5%
5
Winfield Scott · 26.5%
Vermont
Winfield Scott
50.6%
5
Franklin Pierce · 29.8%
Virginia
Franklin Pierce
55.7%
15
Winfield Scott · 44.3%
Wisconsin
Franklin Pierce
52.0%
5
Winfield Scott · 34.4%
The state table accounts for 255 of Franklin Pierce's 254 official electoral votes. The remainder reflect split delegations, district allocations, faithless electors or votes not counted, as recorded at the electoral count.
The Congress it seated
33th Congress
1853–1855
Unified government
Senate
38–22 +2
Democratic control · Democratic–Whig +2 independents
House
157–71 +6
Democratic control · Democratic–Whig +6 independents